Weekend Update 1/5/25

[up1950s]

https://www.google.com/search?q=railroad+in+the+new+year+2025&sca_esv=754168574209eb79&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=911&ei=oz1mZ4LGD-ysptQPneGS8A0&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZ2ZLs-2r69ZEBcCYmF-fXTbf6rS9SlYY&ved=0ahUKEwjCo5GQ_beKAxVslokEHZ2wBN4Q4dUDCAc&oq=railroad+in+the+new+year+2025&gs_lp=EgNpbWciHXJhaWxyb2FkIGluIHRoZSBuZXcgeWVhciAyMDI1SPIKUABYAHAAeACQAQCYAS6gAS6qAQExuAEMyAEA-AEC-AEBigILZ3dzLXdpei1pbWeYAgCgAgCYAwCSBwCgBy0&sclient=img&udm=2

https://dierksphoto.com/gallery/railroad/

https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/road-2024-to-2025.html

https://tillamookcoast.com/blog/living-history-oregon-coast-scenic-railroad/

https://ohiomemory.ohiohistory.org/archives/3405

[atsf_arizona]

Well, it's been FOREVER since I posted a contribution to "Weekend Update".   I'm still around (my PBase ATSF_Arizona album is still there: https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona , I am now retired since Nov 1, 2024;  lots to do with wife, traveling, golf, house, et. al.  But I am finally catching up on some long delayed model RR'ing projects.   Here's my first contribution in a while.... don't be afraid, I have not turned over to the Pennsy, I still focus on Santa Fe and Southern Pacific..... but I do enjoy modeling / collecting examples of both oddball Pennsy diesels, and old-but-classic-N-scale model train methods (such as:  models based on the Con-Cor PA1 mechanism http://www.spookshow.net/loco/ccpa.html ......  I know, I'm dating myself).    Hence....

------------

See here an A-B-A set of Baldwin Passenger Shark foobies in N Scale.  These were purchased from eBay in December 2024 from "DBK Hobby" (eBay ID) of Elmira, Oregon - I suspect they came from someone locally in Oregon who was passing on an item from their N scale collection.   









These are reasonable facsimiles, not 100% correct by any means, resin shells on Con-Cor DL-109 N scale chassis.   But given the absolute unavailability of anything in N scale of Baldwin Pennsylvania RR class BP-20 Passenger "Sharks", it's nice to have some reasonable, well-running stand-in's.  You can see in them running in this 20 second video on YouTube (the Youtube "jerks" but in real life they do run smooth albeit typical "Con-Cor PA1-noisy"): 

  You can see some more details on them in this PBase model railroading album:  https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona/baldwin_passenger_shark_foobie_in_n_scale

Modeling comments:

- These are resin shells, on a standard, unaltered Con-Cor DL-109 chassis/mechanism.  I updated them to Unimate couplers (medium shank on the A unit rears, long shanks were required on the B unit and the pilot of the A unit).

- These are well executed considering what they are.  Someone took a lot of time to accurately paint and decal the rough resin shells, for what the prototype was:   https://jbritton.pennsyrr.com/index.php/tpm/393-passenger-shark-article  The paint faithfully represents them as they looked when first delivered in 2H 1948.   These are very decent stand-in's, gives a good overall impression of these unusual PRR diesels.

- Now to be fair for us modelers,  let's document the issues that while present, are in fact substantiation that someone took a lot of time and energy to do the best they could with what they had.    i.e.    The resin shell's masters were pieced together from Baldwin N scale RF-16 (B-B) freight Shark components.  Thus these models do not have the proper nose contour of the Passenger Sharks, whose nose was slightly longer.  The side grille patterns and roof details are approximations.  The wheelbase on the model is a bit shorter than the prototype; the Con-Cor DL-109 mechanism's wheelbase / length was used unaltered, and is slightly shorter than the Baldwin prototype; thus these models are slightly shorter than they should be (the A units scale out to about 74 scale feet, prototype was 80 feet long!).  The resin model details are OK at "3 feet" but would not be considered contest quality fidelity.  And of course per Pennsy standards, the models should have the PRR Trainphone antennas.

All that said, enjoy these photos/video of an unusual and well-running set of N Scale Baldwin Passenger Shark models!

[garethashenden]

After several years in a box, I have returned to my B&M B15 2-6-0 project. I made a new boiler out of solid brass, so its nice and heavy. I also made some changes to the tender that result in more internal space. I can fit a LokSound Nano decoder in there, along with the motor, speaker, and other bits. I'm almost done with the cab roof, then I will move on to the smokebox saddle followed by the cylinders.

[Dave V]

RGS Extra 455 East rushes through Ophir at the head of a loaded Ridgway-bound stock train. Kitbashed ex-C&S double-deck steel-underframe stock car 7471 follows behind the tender.



I did do a little scenery work. There was a very modest fill on one end of the prototype Bridge 57-B at Gallagher that I hadn't modeled, and over time it started to bug me. I did some re-contouring of the scene:



The finished scene is subtle, but I think it looks more natural from a engineering standpoint as well as more prototypical.



No layout is ever finished!

[Kentuckian]

Excellent work from all of the above as usual.

I did a little more work on the micro layout freight car fleet. It’ll probably just have these couple of boxcars, a 50 ton coal hopper, the required beer can tank car, a 40’ gon, one or two 40’ flat cars, and a caboose.

Some weathering on these, washes and weathering powders. Yes those are Z scale couplers and yes they work on 7” radius curves. You guys are killing me but thanks for the constructive criticism last week.  Waiting on parts for the caboose coupler conversion, I may try a Z scale coupler on that too.

[brokemoto]

The yellow one is one of the last of the Hong Kong versions.  It has the split metal frame but only two of the wheelsets are live.  The live braemen's van makes it an excellent performer.  I bought it with the white cracked gears.  I substituted black gear wheelsets bought from B-mann's parts department.  The air tanks on the yellow one are a commercial detail part.  The bell came from some shell in my parts box but I forget which one.




I found a B-mann "MDT" at a show for a good price.  I had thought that it was one of the last of the Hong Kong versions due to its having Rapidos but it turned out to be an early China version.  The last of the Hong Kong versions have the split metal frame as does the China version but the Hong Kong has the white gears, that crack.  If you substitute the black gear wheelsets (China version) and address the electrical pick-up problem that Spookshow mentions in his review, the last of the Hong Kong versions will run as well as the China versions.  I have found that even the China versions, despite all wheels' being live, do need some help electrically.  One of the ways that I address the electrical pick up is to make some minor alterations to an electrically live Kato JNR brakemen's van to resemble an industrial hack.  I then hardwire it to the locomotive.
Above is the latest addition.  The number is a decal.  I added an air tank, fashioned from a MT truck pin sprue and windings from fired B-mann decoders.  The bell is a casting that someone sold on FeePay.  The OE handrailings just do not look right, so I chopped up something from IM freight car parts that someone sold in a lot with some IM FT shells on FeePay.

The slow speed control on these is very good.  I was surprised at the pulling power.  I will pull eight freight cars, of various manufacture and a B-mann four wheel caboose up a three foot three inch long two-point-two per-cent grade.    This is far more than what the prototype would do, even if you ordered the version with the three hundred HP diesel and three electric motors (I saw an old Fate-Root-Heath catalogue that offered a three hundred HP diesel and three motor version but I do not know if any ever were built.)

See here an A-B-A set of Baldwin Passenger Shark foobies in N Scale.  These were purchased from eBay in December 2024 from "DBK Hobby" (eBay ID) of Elmira, Oregon - I suspect they came from someone locally in Oregon who was passing on an item from their N scale collection.   

These are reasonable facsimiles, not 100% correct by any means, resin shells on Con-Cor DL-109 N scale chassis.   

Modeling comments:

- These are resin shells, on a standard, unaltered Con-Cor DL-109 chassis/mechanism.
-

Are those Father Nature castings?  I have several A & B unit Father Nature castings.  I bought a C-C DL-109 but the Father Nature shells will not go onto the power chassis without some work.  Is there another shell out there for the passenger sharks?

[peteski]

Some weathering on these, washes and weathering powders. Yes those are Z scale couplers and yes they work on 7” radius curves. You guys are killing me but thanks for the constructive criticism last week.  Waiting on parts for the caboose coupler conversion, I may try a Z scale coupler on that too.

Looking good!
I'm glad the TRW's motto worked on you. 

[atsf_arizona]

Great work, everybody!


Brokemoto,

I believe my foobie Baldwin Passenger Sharks were built from resin shells by Father Nature.

Here is cross-link to thread that shows this Father Nature shell unpainted, and it looks exactly like my models.  I see that you posted on this thread:

https://www.nscale.net/forum/modeling/motive-power/36577-can-anyone-shed-light-on-this-baldwin-dr6-bp20-long-shark-i-just-bought

Lots of info on that thread above, check it out.

Here's photos from that thread, showing the unpainted Father Nature shell, clearly sitting on a Con-Cor N scale DL-109 mechanism:



This photo shows the Passenger Shark shell, compared with a ER Models Pennsy freight Baldwin Shark.  You can see that the nose profiles basically match.  Which they shouldn't, the Baldwin Passenger Shark's nose was slightly longer than the freight Shark:



Here's comparison of the nose profiles, these are accurately scaled HO models. 

You can see how the Passenger Shark nose profile differs from the freight Shark (and how much longer the Passenger Shark is):



Here's side view of O scale correctly scaled Baldwin Pennsy Passenger Shark models - you can see what properly scaled Passenger Sharks would look like:



You can see more pictures of this O scale Weaver Baldwin Passenger Shark model here:  https://www.trainmaster.ch/Z-323.htm

You can see here that the Baldwin Passenger Shark's length compared to passenger diesels we are more familiar with:



For wheelbase comparison for purposes of 'how much shorter is the Alco DL-109 vs. the Passenger Shark' for purposes of 'how close is the shorter N scale Con-Cor DL109 chassis vs. proper prototype length'. 
Gives us idea of the amount of 'shortness' of the N scale Father Nature shell.  Reasonably close, especially given the other approximations the N scale shell has, to prototype fidelity:



All good stuff.

Brokemoto, if you would like me to post some close-up photos showing the mechanism or inside of the shells of my models, so that you/we can determine how much modification was necessary, I am happy to do that.  Let me know if interested.

Hope that helps.   

[MK]

I am now retired since Nov 1, 2024;  lots to do with wife, traveling, golf, house, et. al.  But I am finally catching up on some long delayed model RR'ing projects.

Congratulations John!  Retirement is good for MRR'ing.  Don't catch the traveling bug as that will interfere with MRR'ing unless you want to pick up some Japanese N-Scale in Japan like I did.   

[arbomambo]

One of those ‘on the back burner/shelf of doom’ projects that this new T-TRAK modeling motivation has caused me to resurrect:
Modeling a more accurate ATSF E8m from a painted Kato shell. The Kato E unit has dynamic brakes (which the rebuilt ATSF units did not have), so a number of years ago I removed the molded dynamic brake fan on the Kato shell and carefully replaced the panel with styrene sheet, sanding and filling in the seams, being careful not to remove any surrounding detail. I also removed the molded step ladders. This is how the shell remained for over 3-4 years until a couple of weeks ago.
I drilled the ubiquitous ATSF openings in the pilot/anticlimber structure for the various air and train hoses, added them, and added cut levers from BLMA’s Ultimate E/F Unit detail set.
This evening I masked and primed the area where the dynamic brake fan was removed with Mr Surfacer 1000, then sprayed that panel and the completed pilot with Tamiya ‘Silver Plate’ laquer.
I still have to simulate the carbody openings with black decals, attach photoetched stainless steel Farr-style grills (from Plano), add photoetch step ladders, and, maybe, change the locomotive number (one of the ATSF E8m rebuilds, number 82L, never received the F unit-style rectangular number board housings and retained the E8/9 unit-style flush oval numberboards when it was destroyed in August, 1959)
I may retain the number 85 as it still hadn’t received the F-style numberboards in my 1957 modeled year. I’ll also replace the pilot mounted coupler with a MT Z scale coupler.

[BCR 570]

Congratulations Mr. Sing; good to have you back.  I retired in July so I share your joy.

During the past week I focused on finishing my two BCR cabooses before year end.  This included forming the end and side grab irons from .010" wire and installing them, adding the end handrail assemblies, and installing the window wipers.  I also cut all of the window glass to fit and bagged them for installation after painting.

I also had to build new interiors as the ones supplied with the kits was incorrect.  I focused on the details which might be seen through the windows, and left the 1" space between the pairs of side windows clear for electronics.

Here are the cabooses with their new interiors including conductor's desk and chair either end, kitchen counter, table, sofa, heater, etc.:






BCOL 1861 has the rounded cupola windows:




and BCOL 1868 has the square cupola windows:





My layout has been silent since hosting an op session for the PNR Convention in May, but during this past week I got the room tidied up, and the track cleaned and vacuumed.  The room now doubles as my music studio (currently practising for Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition and Britten's War Requeim) but the room looks a lot better now:




The first train of the year was Work Extra 570, seen here motoring past the grain elevator at Tremblay:




and passing the Northwest Wood Preservers mill at Dawson Creek:




The two RS-3s performed well after their long rest, and are presently tied up outside the depot at Dawson Creek:





Best wishes for an 'on track' 2025!

Tim

[C855B]

... The room now doubles as my music studio (currently practising for Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition and Britten's War Requeim) but the room looks a lot better now:

Looks mighty familiar, that. I keep my double-reeds at one end of the layout room, and the brass at the other. Keeps 'em from fighting.

Eb clarinets are rare birds these days. I lost my sopranino in a divorce 40 years ago... the kicker was she didn't play clarinet! And I don't know if I ought to share a friend's joke about his alto.

[ednadolski]

What printer are you using?   :impressed:

Ed

[brill27mcb]

Looks mighty familiar, that. I keep my double-reeds at one end of the layout room, and the brass at the other. Keeps 'em from fighting.

Eb clarinets are rare birds these days. I lost my sopranino in a divorce 40 years ago... the kicker was she didn't play clarinet! And I don't know if I ought to share a friend's joke about his alto.

I think we need a thread on "Musical Acoustics of Train Rooms."   

Rich K.

[BCR 570]

What printer are you using?   :impressed:

Ed

These are built from Kaslo Shops kits so they are not my prints.  I can try to find out for you what printer the company is using, but yes they are nice prints.

Eb clarinets are rare birds these days.

Not as rare as my D clarinet, or the basset horn next to the bass clarinet . . . 


Tim